Looking Back: A Matter of Process
It’s time for another information update on the long but focused `Roxy Revival journey. In the process I will share why “process” is so important when it comes to maintaining a viable project. I sat down recently in an interview with Don Budgen about it all and saw that when one steps into his world, one learns all about logically measured process. And that, for all intents and purposes, is the only way to go.
Don shared with meat length, the stories behind three recent significant exterior theatre refurbishing projects and how each proceeded with studied process. The first was the magnificent Pepsi sign and there was measured approach here that required searching out a qualified person for the restoration of this advertising mural. Vetting this work was important as it is a historic sign with quite a history. More history than people realize.
There were in fact three different signs on that wall at different times. The Pepsi logo on the theatre wall evolved from the fancy slanted scroll lettering (classic script) in 1950 to the block lettering of same words in 1962 and then block lettering with the word cola being dropped out in 1965. This evolution required that every mural sign in every community be repainted to reflect the latest logo. There were no templates back then by the way, it was all by hand. The Pepsi Company actually had special painters that went from town to town redoing the murals.
When one looks closely to the top half left side of the now restored mural one can see the ghost image of the bottle cap from the 1962 mural. Further down to the lower right side one can see the faded yellow background that the 1950 script lettering was superimposed on.
Realizing that he needed the best qualified person for this job led to a lot of research and eventually he found a restorer by the name of Cody Winkel from Vancouver. Cody is a respected traditional sign painter and mural specialist. Cody studied the Pepsi mural and spent two days going over swatches and did extensive research. I talked to Cody as he was blocking in all of the larger swaths of colour around the letters last July. He told me that he had matched alkyd enamel oil based paint to the background colour and then added an interesting comment. He said, “I am doing minimally invasive brushwork around the actual design itself that existed, just to preserve any character it had that represents the original artist”. Wow! Being respectful of previous work done!
Bottom line here is that Cody did a fabulous job and it was money well spent, including having to rent a special boom lift, cleaning and surface prep of this 8 by 23 foot ad. So in the end this mural was done right and historically correct. Process.
Incidentally Budgen went to huge lengths to contact Pepsi at any level, local, national and international aka da US of A, for support and got nowhere He even visited their Calgary office but to no avail.
Don then moved on to describe the second piece of outside work in progress, that being my favourite subject, the old neon Roxy sign. How many times I have stood under that sign as a kid, waiting to go into the matinee with a Three Stooges intro. Or at night with the neon colours rolling magically around the sign. The sign was taken down last December and hauled away for restoration by National Neon out of Calgary. Don said that every effort is made to hire local contractors but in some instances one needs to look further. It is no small feat to restore the paintwork and illumination of a neon sign like the Roxy which stands 10 feet by 3 feet. The sheet metal enclosure (cabinet) also needed repairing and at one point a completely new metal paneling was contemplated. This was reconsidered and it was decided to keep the original metal faces and have the old girl cleaned up and repainted but with a few of her dents and scars left as is. Besides, dents show character, Don said.
It was also realized, through research, that replacing the neon tubing was expensive and even more so to have to repair it later. And given how garbage cans can be seen flying down main-street Coleman, an LED alternative was used instead.
As an aside there is a lovely vertical row of glass blocks immediately on the east side of the old sign that Don has zeroed in on with an idea. That idea would be to illuminate the blocks from inside the building to allow light to shine onto the sign and glow at night. If you have ever observed glass block, you will know that light moves through it almost magically. The research on replacing the neon with LED was interesting in the fact that the original colours of the neon could be replaced. This involved, studying, wherever possible, the gas within the tubing in certain segments, as different gases give off different colours. Gases like argon, neon, helium and krypton (yes krypton) all give off certain hues. So the LED colours will match somewhat the original marquis colour sequence. Vertical neon marquis’ came into fashion in the 1940’s to provide higher visibility from a distance. This makes perfect sense does it not?
The third feature being worked on is the front face of the building and the old entrance canopy that was at one time also illuminated. Once the old wood framing trim on the canopy was stripped off, the aging and fire damaged (aka 1948 blaze) was revealed and the contractors realized there was much more to do to revitalize and stabilize the marquis. So now that area has all been readied for the finishing touches. Above the marquis, where the tin paneling has been stripped off, a new similar layer will be added. It is all coming together but it takes time and process that sometimes does not move easily, nor should it. The ultimate goal is still the same, to be an arts entertainment center for the Pass. It will come.
Fundraising wise there are always things on the horizon. Grants in the works that are never guaranteed nor counted on as things move forward renovation wise. Auctions and events all designed to compliment donations and grants. Right now the Roxy Fall Fundraiser is in play and there are three amazing items out there to view on the crowsnestcando.ca site. A beautifully hand painted violin offering by Kari Lehr entitled, “Four Part Harmony. A one-time only print taken from Rick Gillis’s iconic Roxy scene painting called “Stolen Moments” that when viewed brings the comment, “Young love is so sweet and yet so fragile.” No one else will ever own a copy of this painting. And lastly a painting by respected artist Frits Pannekoek that captures the architecturally complex shapes and shadows of the Roxy as she presents herself. These are one of a kind items to bid on that will support the rise of the Roxy once again into the community. Bidding ends December 20th.
